If I was feeling better in the snow up so high then I would have loved to snowboard, but the lack of sleep the previous night and the lack of oxygen left me struggling to get around for 10mins of every hour (it would come and go in waves). There was a little bit to see but not a whole lot if you’re not up for getting physical in the freezing temperatures, so in the mid arvo most of us returned to the valley village. Some of us went into the village and sat at a coffee shop breathing in the scenery and soaking in the feel of the place. This is an important part to my experiencing each place we visit, and it was quite magical in Switzerland (“hey guys, just thought I’d mention the ALPS again”).



Yesterday we bussed it into Italia and Firenze (Florence), the capital of old Tuscany. The drive showed us some remarkable views, alpine mountains behind picturesque villages set on the bank of a crystal mirrored lake – the sort of thing you see in a movie or painting or dream.
So it followed that our first stop (for lunch) in Italy was amazingly disappointing. It was at a petrol station with no distinguishing features apart from the enclosure with small roadworking equipment, and the smell of urine near the bins (common to many Italian servos I hear).

Top Deck Coach
Florence -> Rome, Italy